Small Clauses

Linguistics 322

A small clause is the syntactic equivalent of the basic proposition. Small clauses occur in sever constructions. Some examples are shown below. The small clauses are enclosed in square brackets. The clause called small clause is usually the complement of a lexical verb (a cognitive verb):

1. John considers [ Mary intelligent. ]
2. Mary found [ syntax an exceptionally hard subject ].
3. Bill saw [ Jacqueline play the piano ].
4. Mabel heard [ Sally scream at her kids ].
5. Kyle felt [ an arachnid climb up his arm ].
6. Someone smelled [ the toast burn in the toaster ].
7. Edith tasted [ ice cream melt in her mouth ].
8. George remembers [Agnes burning the stew ].
9. Reid noticed [ Carmen throwing a memorable fit].

In all the above cases the subject of the small clause receives the accusative Case from the verb which governs the small clause. One fact common to all small claues is that they are not modified by tense (a complement of tense):

Small clauses can be modified by the progressive aspect (complements of Prog):

1. Bill saw [ Jacqueline playing the piano ].
2. Mabel heard [ Sally screaming at her kids ].
3. Kyle felt [ an arachnid climbing up his arm ].
4. Someone smelled [ the toast burning in the toaster ].
5. Edith tasted [ ice cream melting in her mouth ].

Here, Sally can get Case from Prog. It must raise and adjoin to ProgP whre it will in position to be marked for the accusative Case by hear.

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